A Fickle Thing
by TheAliensDidIt
Summary: . . . called love. It is Valentine's Day in Konoha. NaruHina, ShikaIno, NejiTen, SasuSaku.


_Happy Valentine's Day to the couples and the singles. The world needs love. Share the love!_

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><p><strong>A Fickle Thing . . .<strong>

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"Hey Hinata-chan!"

The blond-haired boy in an orange jumpsuit waves to the pale-eyed girl, then jogs over to her, his left hand hiding suspiciously behind his back.

"N-Naruto-kun," Hinata predictably blushes. "H-hello," greets back, mentally cursing herself for her stutter and _why oh why can't she just get rid of her stupid stutter – _

"Hinata-chan, do you know what day it is today?" Naruto continues, utterly oblivious to the girl's inner turmoil.

"U-um," Hinata says, twiddling her thumbs together, because she does know what day it is today, but this is _Naruto_ we're talking about, so she hesitates before answering.

Hesitates for far too long, it seems, because Naruto prattles on. "Kiba said that today is Vatenline's Day, or something, so I've gotta give a present to someone . . ."

Blood pounds in Hinata's ears. _Valentine's Day? He knows!_

". . . so I said I'd give something to Iruka-sensei, but Kiba started yelling like, 'NO YOU IDIOT, NOT LIKE THAT! YOU GOTTA GIVE SOMETHING TO A GIRL!' and I started yelling back and Akamaru got mad and bit me . . ."

Hinata's brain only registers a few words. _Give something . . . to a girl . . ._ she glances surreptitiously at Naruto's left hand behind his back, obviously hiding something from her, and then her heartbeat quickens involuntarily because _maybe, maybe, he's giving it to –_

". . . and I said, 'What about Ayame-chan? She makes awesome ramen!' but Kiba got madder and hit me and said I can't give a present to just anyone, I have to give it to someone I like . . ."

_Someone he likes? _Hinata thinks hazily.

". . . so I'm giving it to you . . ."

_To me! Naruto-kun i_s _giving it to _me_! _

". . . Happy Vatenline's Day, Hinata-chan!"

At last he holds out his left hand and presents a bouquet of flowers – _crushed flowers, _Hinata notes dimly but affectionately – and an Ichiraku Ramen voucher on top of them.

A new kind of red is created at that very moment, the red that flames and blossoms on Hinata's cheeks.

"N-N-Naruto-kun," she manages, before –

_Thump._

"Hinata-chan? Hinata-chan! Hey!"

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><p>"Shikamaaaaruuuuuuuuuuuuu!"<p>

"What, Ino." He doesn't bother opening his eyes, since there can only be one person with a voice shrill enough to make birds explode and rain feathers.

"Don't _what _me, you lazy bum!"

He sighs. "Troublesome woman."

"Do you _know _what the occasion is today?"

"No."

Even with his eyes closed, he can feel her gawping like a fish, her mouth opening and closing indignantly, eyes narrowed to angry slits.

"Are you saying that you, a genius with an IQ of over two-freaking-hundred, don't know that today is _Valentine's Day?"_

He cracks open an eye this time. "Leave me alone, Ino."

The sound that escapes from Ino's mouth is something of a cross between an angry shriek, an exasperated sigh, and a long moan. When it becomes clear that Shikamaru isn't moving anytime soon, she huffs and storms away, making sure he hears her cursing him.

Ten minutes later, when Ino returns to her flower shop, she notices that the shop is nearly empty. Nearly empty of flowers, that is.

And the trees outside the flower shop are bedecked with blossoms of all sorts. Roses, red chrysanthemums, daffodils, acacias, forget-me-nots, ambrosias, daisies.

Ino's mind whirls as she mentally goes through each flower's meaning, and she eventually settles on one. _Love._

She grins slowly and spins around like a little girl once again, ignoring the curious – and slightly fearful – looks that passersby are sending her. Then she screams to the wind, "SHIKAMARU, YOU LAZU BUM!"

In his favorite cloud-watching spot, Shikamaru smiles.

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><p>Tenten absentmindedly polishes her kunai, gazing around the training grounds once more.<p>

It is quiet here, with the absence of Lee and Gai-sensei. Neji – even though he's always punctual – has yet to arrive as well.

At last, Tenten decides that her team isn't coming. She picks up her weapons with a sigh and decides to head home.

When suddenly, in the middle of the street, she comes across an odd sight.

Neji, with a murderous glint in his eyes, is clutching Lee by the collar of his shirt (Tenten takes a moment to note that Lee has abandoned his spandex; instead, he has a collared pink shirt and matching pink pants on), Lee is currently in danger of being choked to death but still manages to blabber on about youth to Neji, and Gai-sensei is prancing about with his arms waving through the air.

Tenten feels like dissolving into a puddle of water and fervently hopes the puddle evaporates for good measure.

She is about to quietly tiptoe away when Gai-sense – curse him – sees her trying to sneak off.

"Tenten! What Opportune Timing, my Youthful Flower!"

Gai-sensei has the ability to capitalize random words, even when speaking.

"My Blooming Blossom, perhaps You can help Our Young Prodigy here about The Meaning of Valentine's Day!"

Lee garbles some incomprehensible words about youth.

Neji tightens his chokehold.

Tenten slaps her forehead with her hand.

"Valentine's Day is a Day of Love, my Young Students!"

"H-hai, Gai-sensei!" Lee manages.

"Neji . . ." Tenten hisses, "put Lee down."

Neji grudgingly does so, giving Lee one last squeeze on the neck for good measure.

"We all must Share this Day of Love with everyone!"

Lee recovers from Neji's strangulation quickly. "What a youthful idea, Gai-sensei!"

"Therefore!" Gai-sensei suddenly points to Neji and Tenten feverishly, "Tenten! Our Blooming Blossom! You are In Charge of teaching Our Young Prodigy about the Wonders of Valentine's Day!"

Tenten's jaw drops, and she raises her hands in a futile gesture to ward off Gai-sensei's next words.

"Treat this as an A-rank Mission! This is of the Utmost Importance! Now! Let us be Off, Lee!"

"Gai-sensei!"

"Lee!"

"Gai-sensei!"

They summarily speed off into the sunset.

Tenten and Neji remain motionless in the middle of the street.

The passersby shake their heads, already used to Gai and Lee's antics.

Tenten wants to _get away._

Therefore, when Neji quietly invites her to the dango place with him, she happily accepts.

She tells herself that she's just doing her "A-rank mission", but deep inside, she's just the tiniest bit grateful to Gai-sensei and Lee.

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><p>In Orochimaru's hideout, Sasuke fingers the cherry blossom that he'd saved from a few days ago.<p>

The cherry blossom had drifted into his room through a hole in the ceiling. It used to be a soft, pale pink. Pink like her hair.

Now it is slightly dried and has lost its color.

Sasuke debates for a moment.

He can summon something to deliver the flower to her.

He wants to.

It's just . . .

_No. _He crushes the petal with his fist. _I can't. Not now. _

He ignores the little voice in his head that asks him: _When?_

_Not now._

So he waits.

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><p>Sakura smiles softly as she holds the picture frame of Team Seven, back in their genin days.<p>

Back when Sasuke was still here.

She strokes the picture slowly. Marvels at how everything's changed. How he's not here anymore.

She sets the frame down, makes her way to her open window, looks out.

And then she thinks of him.

She doesn't know if he thinks of her too, but she guesses that he doesn't.

She still hasn't given up hope, though. Because hope is fragile. Hope is all she has. Hope is a baby bird that is learning to use his newly-found wings.

She doesn't want to crush the baby bird.

So she waits.

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**. . . Called Love.**

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><p><em>I hope I got the last bit down right. Did it make you cry? Tell me it made you cry. <em>

_Thank you for reading. Review, please and thank you. HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY! Again._

_- TheAliensDidIt_


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